Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point Data Sheet [Cisco Aironet 1250 Series]

The Cisco® Aironet® 1250 Series is the first enterprise-class access point to support the IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard. 802.11n offers combined data rates of up to 600 Mbps to provide users with mobile access to high-bandwidth data, voice, and video applications regardless of their location. Through the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, 802.11n also provides reliable and predictable WLAN coverage to improve the end-user experience for both existing 802.11a/b/g clients and new 802.11n clients.

The robust Cisco Aironet® 1250 Series Access Point (Figure 1) is a modular platform designed to be easily field-upgradeable to support a variety of wireless capabilities. This modularity allows businesses to deploy existing wireless technologies today with the confidence that their network investment will extend to support emerging and future wireless technologies.

The platform was specifically engineered to support the power, throughput, and mechanical requirements of higher-speed WLAN technologies, including 802.11n. Currently, the platform provides both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz modules compliant with the IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard. As technology evolves, the platform is flexible to support future radio modules designed to deliver intelligent RF services, further enhancing the performance and reliability of the wireless network. The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series is a rugged indoor access point designed for both office and challenging RF environments such as factories, warehouses, hospitals and large retail establishments that require the antenna versatility associated with connectorized antennas, a rugged metal enclosure, and a broad operating temperature range. With a Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) interface, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series delivers line-rate throughput for higher-speed WLAN technologies such as 802.11n. The access point offers the flexibility of inline as well as local power options.

Figure 1. The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point

The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series is part of the Cisco Unified Wireless Network. The Cisco Unified Wireless Network is a comprehensive solution that unifies the wired and wireless network to deliver a common set of services and applications, providing users a single experience for any mode of network connectivity, and offering IT simplified operational management. The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series integrates seamlessly with the Cisco Unified Wireless Network. It extends the same industry-leading RF and network management capabilities as currently available across the breadth of Cisco wireless solutions.

The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series has two deployment options: controller-based (unified) or standalone (autonomous). Access points using the Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP) work in conjunction with Cisco wireless LAN controllers and optionally with the Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS). When configured with LWAPP, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series simplifies operations by automatically detecting the best-available Cisco Wireless LAN Controller and downloading appropriate policies and configuration information with no manual intervention. When deployed as a standalone access point, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series delivers a baseline set of features and can later be software-upgraded to take advantage of the full benefits of the Cisco Unified Wireless Network.

Investment Protection

The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series is a modular platform that is compliant with the 802.11n draft 2.0 standard and is the first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 access point. Furthermore, the platform has been tested extensively to ensure simple, secure interoperability with IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard devices. The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series provides additional investment protection with its modular, field-upgradeable design and easy-to-install radio modules. Cisco is committed to standards, and the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series provides a path for compliance to the final IEEE 802.11n standard, once ratified. Businesses with an immediate need to enhance the performance of their WLANs can deploy the IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard radio modules now with the confidence that their investments are protected. These modules can be easily field-upgraded should this be required by a shift in standards evolution.

Award-Winning Security

The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series supports industry-standard wireless security protocols, including 802.11i, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), WPA2, and 802.1X, along with numerous Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) types. The access point delivers hardware-accelerated Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption designed to meet the most stringent enterprise and government encryption requirements without compromising performance. As part of the Cisco Secure Wireless Solution, Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points operating with LWAPP enable comprehensive wired and wireless intrusion prevention and detection. Each access point can scan the RF environment and report on suspicious or unauthorized wireless activity, effectively allowing businesses to create a comprehensive threat defense across 802.11a/b/g and now 802.11n. Additionally, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point supports management frame protection for the encryption of 802.11 management frames by the wireless network infrastructure. This allows the network to completely remove the threat from man-in-the-middle and spoofing attacks. If an access point detects a malicious attack, an alarm will be generated and reported to the network administrator.

RF Management

Cisco incorporates unique capabilities within its wireless solution that address the operational challenges of deploying business wireless networks. At the heart of these capabilities are intelligent Radio Resource Management (RRM) algorithms designed to consistently fine-tune WLAN parameters to best meet ongoing performance requirements. RRM allows the Cisco Unified Wireless Network to continuously analyze the existing RF environment and automatically adjust access point power and channel settings to help mitigate such things as co-channel interference and signal coverage problems. Unlike conventional 802.11a/b/g products, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series uses multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology to take advantage of the effects of RF multipath propagation in order to improve the reliability and predictability of the wireless signal. The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series supports the latest U.S. and European requirements for Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS), ensuring the access point accurately detects radar events and makes full use of the available 5-GHz spectrum. In addition, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series supports a Software Defined Radio (SDR) enabling it to be upgraded in the field to support new frequencies and power levels as they are approved for use. These RF management capabilities increase system capacity, perform automated self-healing to compensate for RF dead zones and access point failures, and provide a comprehensive way to manage one of your most precious assets, your corporate spectrum.

Deployment Scenarios

The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series with support for the 802.11n draft 2.0 standard is ideal for a variety of deployment scenarios across many industries. The improved throughput, reliability, and predictability of an 802.11n network meet the requirements that many companies have for moving towards a truly mobile enterprise. Cisco's next-generation wireless technology is especially beneficial for environments with the following characteristics:

• Challenging RF environments (for example, manufacturing plants, warehouses, clinical environments)

• Bandwidth-intensive applications (for example, digital imaging, file transfers, network backup)

• Real-time, latency-sensitive applications including voice and video

• Environments that need to support existing 802.11a/b/g and new 802.11n wireless clients

Designed for critical business environments and installations that require antenna versatility, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series features antenna connectors for improved coverage and aesthetically pleasing installation options. The UL2043 rating of the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series allows the access points to be placed above the ceiling tile in plenum areas regulated by municipal fire codes or suspended from drop ceilings.

Features and Benefits

Table 1 lists the features and benefits of Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points.

Table 1. Features and Benefits of Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points

Feature	Benefit
Data Rates of up to 300 Mbps per Radio, 600 Mbps per Access Point	The 802.11n draft 2.0 standard provides capabilities such as 40-MHz channels, packet aggregation, and block acknowledgement which significantly increase the amount of bandwidth available for user applications. With support for physical layer (PHY) data rates up to 300 Mbps per radio, this represents a greater than five-fold increase over the performance of 802.11a/g networks.
Enhanced Reliability and Predictability	MIMO technology, with its multiple antennas and advanced signal processing, improves coverage, reduces dead spots, and augments overall client throughput. MIMO also enables higher data rates by transmitting multiple spatial streams across the unique paths formed between devices. Enhanced reliability and throughput provides a better overall end-user experience for users relying on the wireless network for business functions.
Powerful Platform	Engineered to support the power, thermal dissipation, memory, CPU, and Gigabit Ethernet transmission requirements of 802.11n and future wireless technologies.
Modular Field-Upgradeable Design with Easy-to-Install Modules	Investment protection through field-upgradeable radios. As technology evolves, radio modules can be replaced in the field with new radio modules, preserving the investment in the access point chassis and avoiding the expense of installing a new access point.
2.4-GHz and 5-GHz Radio Modules	Dual radios allow simultaneous operation of 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz wireless networks, offering the greatest number of available channels and therefore the greatest system capacity and scalability.
Both Inline and Local Powering Options	To realize optimal performance, the access point supports both inline power delivered over a single Ethernet cable and local power options.
Extensive Interoperability	The Aironet 1250 Series Access Point has undergone extensive interoperability testing to ensure simple, secure interoperability with other 802.11 devices. It is the first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 access point, has earned the Intel Connect with Centrino certification, and has undergone extensive testing in 802.11n plug fests.
Backward Compatibility with Existing 802.11a/b/g Clients	Protects existing 802.11a/b/g investments and provides an easy migration to 802.11n.
Integrated RF Management Capabilities	Integrated RF management capabilities address the operational challenges of deploying business wireless networks. These capabilities include Radio Resource Management, MIMO, superior DFS support, SDR certification, and spectrum intelligence integration into WCS. Integrated RF management capabilities increase system capacity, improve system performance, perform automated self-healing to compensate for RF dead zones and access point failures, and provide a comprehensive way to manage one of your most precious assets, your corporate spectrum.
Supports up to 24 non-Overlapping Channels¹	Provides lower potential interference with neighboring access points, which simplifies deployment and reduces co-channel interference for fewer transmission errors and greater throughput. More channels also means that more of the high- throughput, 40-MHz channels introduced in the 802.11n draft 2.0 standard are supported.
External RP-TNC Antenna Connectors for Both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz Radios	Antenna connectors support a variety of Cisco 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz antennas, providing range and coverage versatility.
Cisco Unified IDS/IPS	An integral part of the Cisco Secure Wireless Solution, the industry's first integrated wired and wireless security solution, the access point can monitor the RF environment to detect and locate unauthorized wireless activity, including rogue access points and RF denial of service attacks.
Management Frame Protection	Management frame protection encrypts the management header of the 802.11 packet and enables the access point to detect spoofed frames from malicious users impersonating infrastructure access points. If an access point detects a malicious attack, an alert will be generated and reported back to the network administrator.
Rugged Metal Housing	The access point is built with a metal case and sturdy features for deployment in rugged environments such as factories, warehouses, and other industrial environments.
UL 2043 Plenum Rating and Extended Operating Temperature	Supports installation in environmental air spaces, such as areas above suspended ceilings.
Multipurpose and Lockable Mounting Bracket	Provides flexibility during site survey and traditional installation as well as helping to deter theft.

¹Supports 3 2.4-GHz and 21 5-GHz channels in the FCC regulatory domain; channel support varies by country. See Table 2 for frequency band and operating channel support in your particular regulatory domain.

Summary

The Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point is the first enterprise-class access point to support the IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard. With its modular design, the Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point supports current and future wireless technologies, ensuring investment protection. With both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz 802.11n draft 2.0 standard radio modules, the access point delivers total data rates of up to 600 Mbps, meeting the performance requirements of the most demanding applications. Integrated MIMO technology provides more reliable coverage and greater throughput for both existing 802.11a/b/g clients and new 802.11n clients in even the most challenging wireless environments. Users can now rely on wireless networks to give them a similar experience to wired networks, providing them with mobile access to high-bandwidth data, voice, and video applications regardless of their location.

Product Specifications

Table 2 lists the product specifications for Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points.

Table 2. Product Specifications for Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Points

Item	Specification
Part Numbers	Access point platform with pre-installed radio modules: • AIR-AP1252AG-x-K9 802.11a/g/n-draft 2.0 2.4/5-GHz Modular Autonomous AP; 6 RP-TNC • AIR-AP1252G-x-K9 802.11g/n-draft 2.0 2.4-GHz Modular Autonomous AP; 3 RP-TNC • AIR-LAP1252AG-x-K9 802.11a/g/n-draft 2.0 2.4/5-GHz Modular Unified AP; 6 RP-TNC • AIR-LAP1252G-x-K9 802.11g/n-draft 2.0 2.4-GHz Modular Unified AP; 3 RP-TNC Individual components: • AIR-AP1250= Modular Auto AP Platform (no radio modules); Spare • AIR-LAP1250= Modular Unified AP Platform (no radio modules); Spare • AIR-RM1252A-x-K9= 802.11a/n-d2.0 5-GHz Radio Module; 3 RP-TNC • AIR-RM1252G-x-K9= 802.11g/n-d2.0 2.4-GHz Radio Module; 3 RP-TNC • AIR-AP1250MNTGKIT= 1250 Series Ceiling, Wall Mount Bracket kit- Spare Regulatory domains: (x = regulatory domain) • A = FCC • C = China • E = ETSI • I = Israel • K = Korea • N =Non-FCC • P = Japan2 • S = Singapore • T = Taiwan Customers are responsible for verifying approval for use in their individual countries. To verify approval and to identify the regulatory domain that corresponds to a particular country, please visit: http://www.cisco.com/go/aironet/compliance. Not all regulatory domains have been approved. As they are approved, the part numbers will be available on the Global Price List.
Software	• Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(10b)JA or later (Autonomous Mode). • Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(10b)JX or later (Unified Mode). • Cisco Unified Wireless Network Software Release 4.2 or later.
Draft 802.11n Version 2.0 (and Related) Capabilities	• 2x3 MIMO with two spatial streams • Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) • Legacy beamforming (hardware supports this capability; not yet enabled in software) • 20-and 40-MHz channels • PHY data rates up to 300 Mbps • Packet aggregation: A-MPDU (Tx/Rx), A-MSDU (Tx/Rx) • 802.11 DFS (Bin 5) • Cyclic Shift Diversity (CSD) support
Data Rates Supported	802.11a: 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps
	802.11g: 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, and 54 Mbps
	802.11n data rates (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz):
	MCS Index¹	GI² = 800ns				GI = 400ns
		20-MHz Rate (Mbps)		40-MHz Rate (Mbps)		20-MHz Rate (Mbps)		40-MHz Rate (Mbps)
	0	6.5		13.5		7.2		15
	1	13		27		14.4		30
	2	19.5		40.5		21.7		45
	3	26		54		28.9		60
	4	39		81		43.3		90
	5	52		108		57.8		120
	6	58.5		121.5		65		135
	7	65		135		72.2		157.5
	8	13		27		14.4		30
	9	26		54		28.9		60
	10	39		81		43.3		90
	11	52		108		57.8		120
	12	78		162		86.7		180
	13	104		216		115.6		240
	14	117		243		130		270
	15	130		270		144.4		300
Frequency Band and 20-MHz Operating Channels	-A (Americas (FCC)): • 2.412 to 2.462 GHz; 11 channels • 5.180 to 5.320 GHz; 8 channels • 5.500 to 5.700 GHz, 8 channels (excludes 5.600 to 5.640 GHz) • 5.745 to 5.825 GHz; 5 channels -C (China): • 2.412 to 2.472 GHz; 13 channels • 5.745 to 5.825 GHz; 5 channels -E (ETSI): • 2.412 to 2.472 GHz; 13 channels • 5.180 to 5.320 GHz; 8 channels • 5.500 to 5.700 GHz, 11 channels -I (Israel): • 2.412 to 2.472 GHz, 13 channels • 5.180 to 5.320 GHz; 8 channels -K (Korea): • 2.412 to 2.472 GHz; 13 channels • 5.180 to 5.320 GHz; 8 channels • 5.500 to 5.620 GHz, 7 channels • 5.745 to 5.805 GHz, 4 channels				-N (Non-FCC): • 2.412 to 2.462 GHz; 11 channels • 5.180 to 5.320 GHz; 8 channels • 5.745 to 5.825 GHz; 5 channels -P (Japan2): • 2.412 to 2.472 GHz; 13 channels • 5.180 to 5.320 GHz; 8 channels -S (Singapore): • 2.412 to 2.472 GHz; 13 channels • 5.180 to 5.320 GHz; 8 channels • 5.745 to 5.825 GHz; 5 channels -T (Taiwan): • 2.412 to 2.462 GHz; 11 channels • 5.280 to 5.320 GHz; 3 channels • 5.500 to 5.700 GHz, 11 channels • 5.745 to 5.825 GHz; 5 channels
Note: This varies by regulatory domain. Refer to the product documentation for specific details for each regulatory domain.
Maximum Number of Non-Overlapping Channels	2.4 GHz • 802.11b/g: • 20 MHz: 3 • 802.11n: • 20 MHz: 3 • 40 MHz: 1				5 GHz • 802.11a: • 20 MHz: 21 • 802.11n: • 20 MHz: 21 • 40 MHz: 9
Note: This varies by regulatory domain-refer to the product documentation for specific details for each regulatory domain.
Receive Sensitivity	802.11a -86 dBm @ 6 Mb/s -85 dBm @ 9 Mb/s -82 dBm @ 12 Mb/s -81 dBm @ 18 Mb/s -80 dBm @ 24 Mb/s -79 dBm @ 36 Mb/s -74 dBm @ 48 Mb/s -73 dBm @ 54 Mb/s				802.11b -90 dBm @ 1 Mb/s -89 dBm @ 2 Mb/s -87 dBm @ 5.5 Mb/s -85 dBm @ 11 Mb/s		802.11g -87 dBm @ 6 Mb/s -86 dBm @ 9 Mb/s -83 dBm @ 12 Mb/s -82 dBm @ 18 Mb/s -81 dBm @ 24 Mb/s -80 dBm @ 36 Mb/s -75 dBm @ 48 Mb/s -74 dBm @ 54 Mb/s
	5-GHz 802.11n (HT20) -85 dBm @ MC0 -84 dBm @ MC1 -83 dBm @ MC2 -82 dBm @ MC3 -79 dBm @ MC4 -74 dBm @ MC5 -73 dBm @ MC6 -72 dBm @ MC7 -85 dBm @ MC8 -84 dBm @ MC9 -83 dBm @ MC10 -82 dBm @ MC11 -79 dBm @ MC12 -74 dBm @ MC13 -73 dBm @ MC14 -72 dBm @ MC15		5-GHz 802.11n (HT40) -85 dBm @ MC0 -84 dBm @ MC1 -83 dBm @ MC2 -79 dBm @ MC3 -76 dBm @ MC4 -71 dBm @ MC5 -70 dBm @ MC6 -69 dBm @ MC7 -85 dBm @ MC8 -84 dBm @ MC9 -83 dBm @ MC10 -79 dBm @ MC11 -76 dBm @ MC12 -71 dBm @ MC13 -70 dBm @ MC14 -69 dBm @ MC15		2.4-GHz 802.11n (HT20) -86 dBm @ MC0 -85 dBm @ MC1 -84 dBm @ MC2 -83 dBm @ MC3 -80 dBm @ MC4 -75 dBm @ MC5 -74 dBm @ MC6 -73 dBm @ MC7 -86 dBm @ MC8 -85 dBm @ MC9 -84 dBm @ MC10 -83 dBm @ MC11 -80 dBm @ MC12 -75 dBm @ MC13 -74 dBm @ MC14 -73 dBm @ MC15		2.4-GHz 802.11n (HT40) -86 dBm @ MC0 -85 dBm @ MC1 -84 dBm @ MC2 -80 dBm @ MC3 -77 dBm @ MC4 -72 dBm @ MC5 -71 dBm @ MC6 -70 dBm @ MC7 -86 dBm @ MC8 -85 dBm @ MC9 -84 dBm @ MC10 -80 dBm @ MC11 -77 dBm @ MC12 -72 dBm @ MC13 -71 dBm @ MC14 -70 dBm @ MC15
Maximum Transmit Power	2.4GHz • 802.11b • 23 dBm with 1 antenna • 802.11g • 20 dBm with 1 antenna • 802.11n (HT20) • 17 dBm with 1 antenna • 20 dBm with 2 antennas • 802.11n (HT40) • 17 dBm with 1 antenna • 20 dBm with 2 antennas

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Cisco Aironet 1250 Series

Cisco Aironet 1250 Series Access Point Data Sheet

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